Around Alone Report for October 21

Next is hurdle is dual Atlantic highs

Marc Thiercelin's Finot 60 Somewhere continues as the Around Alone race leader.  He leads fellow French sailor Isabelle Autissier sailing PRB by 19.5 miles.  The distance between these two yachts has narrowed from 42 miles yesterday.  On board PRB Isabelle is preparing her strategy for her upcoming battle with the Atlantic high pressure systems.   Currently these high pressure systems are situated as follows:  1 near 35S/35W and the other near 35-40S/5E.  These are both roughly on the latitude of the finish in Cape Town South Africa.  It may be possible for the fleet to sail between the two, or sail over the top of them.

In 3rd place in Class I is Gartmore 107 miles back followed by fellow British yacht Group 4 125 miles back.   These distances are also a bit closer than yesterday.  These gains may be caused by a lightening of the winds as the boats sail south.  At last report, the two farthest south yachts (Somewhere and Group 4) were sailing at slower speeds than PRB and Gartmore to the north. 

Class II is still led by Balance Bar.   Her lead over Cray Valley is 11 miles.  The other nite Balance Bar had an encounter with the Brazilian navy.  At first, the Navy called Brad via VHF and queried in him in very official fashion.  They then told him to make a radical course change to clear the area in which they were conduction operations.   Then another voice came on the box.  This time it was a Brazilian Navy officer who also races sailboats.  Once he understood Brad was sailing in Around Alone he allowed him to resume his course.  The conversation concluded with the following exchange:  "I told him that I was currently first in class and that I was trying to hold off a French man. He said the French dominate this event, but now the Brazilian Navy was rooting for me and that they would help in any way possible."

2nd place Cray Valley has also encountered shipping.  In his case it is civilian cargo ships.  Sometimes it seems as though these ships pay little attention as they steam the oceans.  Cray Valley's J.P. Mouligne wonders:" ... whether they see you perfectly and just do not bother answering your call, or if they are asleep at the wheel house with vodka bottles everywhere..."

Magellan Alpha's Mike Garside is putting his outlook back together after his keel problems. He reports: "I'm getting to grips with the race again." Right now, the fact that he is crawling to windward along the Brazilian coast without a proper ballast system is keeping him well back of the leading yachts.

South Carolina Class II's 4th place yacht is 365 miles back of Magellan a 26 mile gain.  South Carolina is benefiting from a change in fortunes: "good trades, a change of  hemisphere, and a change of season."   As Robin Davie sailed South Carolina over the equator he saluted the mythical King Neptune in British fashion:  "Lets face it - an Englishman's most prized possession will be his stash of tea, and I did consider just
tossing a tea bag over the side - but really that's not good enough, since a tea bag   would just be a tea bag -  much better that i brewed Neptune a real nice mug of tea."

Rapscallion III trails South Carolina by 93 miles and lies 5th in Class II.  94 more miles back is www.no-barriers.com.  No Barriers is still in the Doldrums and its squalls.  At nite: "We took a knockdown with the winds blowing 45 knots and I had every piece of cloth hanging. With no moon, it was pitch black. Fortunately these spectra sails are well built and strong. We suffered no damage, but inside the cabin it was a mess with stuff thrown out of their compartments."  No Barriers has the edge in southing over Rapscallion and my benefit from the tradwinds first. 36 miles behind No Barriers is Shuten Doji.

337 miles farther back is Paladin II who leads Wind of Change by 37 miles, the same margin as yesterday. 

So, as the fleet sails south the most of the back half will exit the Doldrums and get into the trades.  Meanwhile the leaders will begin to set up to best bypass the two windless highs in the South Atlantic.